Automation comes from the classical Greek word “automatos”(αὐτόμᾰτος).
When something is automatic, it means that it happens automatically, without human assistance. Literally translated: a system without external / manual actions, or support
Interestingly, the Dutch translation for its result is“automaton” or“automated.” The definition of this is:
A device or system that does something that used to be done by humans
For example, “We have a vending machine to make coffee.”
In our factories
It is plausible to think that some parts are beyond improvement. Some processes can be labeled as manual work that cannot be automated.
But if we learn one thing from history, it is that we humans are often wrong about what is and is not possible. For thousands of years, manual processes have been transformed into automated systems.
In fact, industrial revolutions now occur every 25 years, completely disrupting entire industries.
Today, we have entered the era of artificial intelligence (e.g., self-driving cars), big data and open source projects, which drive exponential innovation.
For generations there has been an unnecessary fear of this kind of improvement; for example, the Swing Riots in England. But each time our concerns turn out to be unfounded. To move forward, we must innovate.
The point is
Companies that do not believe their problems can be solved through automation will be replaced by those that do and invest time in them.
- Are you unable to automate input because the customer is still working old-fashionedly? Check out Robotic Process Automation (RPA), for example, with UI Path or Microsoft Power Automate.
- Need personal support? See what Chat GPT and Google Assistant can do soon.
- Analyze big data and automatically identify trends? See what Power BI can do when it gains access to all enterprise data.
- Need years of expertise for work preparation? See what Optimate and Scale NC do.
And this is just the beginning; any process can be fully automated; it’s just a matter of putting energy into it.
What process will you tackle this year?
